Process and apparatus for treating fish



May 3%, 1933. A H COOKE mm w PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR TREATING FISH F iled Dec. 7, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet Q v 62*" & 3

L Q Q Q ATTORNEY May 3% 1933.

A. H. COOKE PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR TREATING FISH Filed Dec. 7, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY Patented May 30, 1933 UNITED, STATES mam PATENT OFFICE ALEXANDER H. OOOKE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y ASSIGNOR TO THE ATLANTIC COAST FISHERIES COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF MAINE rnocEss AND arrsnn'rus ron. ran-ammo rrsn Application filed December 7, 1928. Serial No. 412,888.

This invention relates tothe art of treating fish and more particularly to a new and improved process and apparatus for treatin and skinning fish.

t has been found that the removal of the skin of soft fish is accompanied with a great deal of difliculty as .well as a material amount of flesh loss due to the adhesion between the fiesh portions and the skin.

The present invention accordingly rovides a process for skinning fish fi lets whereby the removal of the skin portions thereof is expedited and a higher recovery of flesh portions is effected.

The present invention also provides a process whereby mechanical means can be moreeasily ap' lied to the removal of the skin portions 0 said fish.

The invention still further provides a simple and eficient apparatus which will expeditiously remove the'skins of fillets.

According to the present invention the fish is cleaned and cut into fillets. These fillets-are then frozen so that the skin surfaces thereof are rendered substantiall plane. Such plane skin surfaces can be e fected by lacing the fillets with the skin portions adia'cent' and in contact with a fiat slab during freezing operation. The skins of the fillets so treated can be very easily re moved by mechanical means hereafter described with the resultant recovery of a greater percentage of the flesh portions of these fillets. According to the invention, such mechanical means is constituted by a device havin a cutter with means for advancing fish llets, and particularly the skin surface thereof into the field of action of said cutter. hunted-adjacent said cutter may be disposed tyieldable means for holding 'nection with the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof, in which:

Figure 1 is a top paratus;

Figure 2 is a side elevation; Figure 3 is a section taken on line 3-3 of Figure 1; and

gure 4 is a section taken on line of Figure 1.

' Like reference characters denote like parts in the several figures of the drawings.

In the following description and in the claims parts will be identified by specific names for-convenience, but they are intended.

to be as generic in their application to ilar parts as the art will permit.

In the process preliminary to skinning, the soft fish is cleaned and cut-into fillets.

sim-

plan view of the ap- These fillets are then placed upon a plane suficiently reduced to efiect a material increase in the amount of recovery in the individual fillets. Because of the plane skin surfaces'the' frozen fillets are more easily adaptable to treatment by-mechanical means for removal of the skin portions thereof.

In the accompanying drawings one form of mechanical means for skinning the frozen fillets is shown. It comprises bed plates 10 and 11 so disposed relative to each other that there is provided a space 12 therebetween. The opposite edges 13 and 14 of said plates are chamfered and have mounted underneath thereof a cutter 15 which may be provided with suitable means (not shown) for adjustin its relative position with respect to said p ates for the accommodation of an selective thickness of skin to lie-remove Extending along the bed plates 10 and 11 is a guide rail 16 which is secured to said plates by means of screws l7,'and which is provided with a T-groove 18 extending longitudinally therealong. Secured to said ide rail 16 by means of screws 21 is a slab 22 for the purpose hereinafter referred to.

Mounted on the plates 10 and 11 are side guide members 23 and 24, which are provided with upstanding flanges 25 and 26. These flanges define. conjointly with the guide rail 16 troughs 27 and 28, respectively.

aid guide members 23 and24 are also provided with slots 29 for the reception therein of hand screws 30 which have a threaded engagement with the bed plate 11. The position of these guide members can accordingly be adjusted by selectively positioning sa1d slots with respect to said hand screws 30.

Slidably mounted along the troughs 27 and 28 is a pusher member 31 which 1s provided transversely with a rib 32, at the end of which are'inounted flange members 33. Secured underneath said flange members are bearing plates 34 which are adapted to contact with the top edge of the flanges 25 and 26 so as to effect guiding means thereby. The pusher member 31 has integrally therewith an arm 36 which is provided with bosses 37 and 38 adapted to receive suitable holding means, such as a handle 41. Secured to the pusher member 31 by means of screws 42 are tongues 43 which have a T- cross-section and which are adapted to slide in the corresponding T-groove 18.

The edge 44 of the pusher 31 is angled for v the reception of strips 45, which have roughened surfaces for the purpose hereinafter referred to. These strips 45 are secured to the pusher 31 by means of screws 46.

Mounted on the bed plate 10 are three brackets 48 which have journaled there- I respective sleeves and 56 are arms and 66, at the. free end of which are mounted respectivelthrough shafts 51, 52, 53 and 54. Loosely mounted on said shafts 51, 52, 53 and 54 are sleeves 55, 56, 57 and 58'. 'Also mounted on the shafts 51, 52, 53 and 54 are sleeves 61, 62, 63 and 64, which are fixedly secured to their shafts. Integrally with the rollers 67 and 68; integrally connected wit the sleeves 61 and 62 are arms 71 and 72 respectively, at the free end of which are mounted rollers 69 and 73; integrally connected with the sleeves 57 and 58 are arms 74 and 75 having rollers 76 and 77 mounted at the free ends thereof; and integrally secured to the sleeves 63 and 64 are arms 78 and 79 havin mounted at their ends rollers 80 and 81. he rollers 7 6, 77, 80 and 81 arev preferably mounted in axial alignment and the rollers 67, 68, 69 and 73 are also preferably arrangedin axial alignment. All" of these rollers have ball-bearing engagements with their respective shafts and are referably constructed with a rubber perip ery.

It should be observed that each of these rollers is mounted for independent movement. I

In the operation of the machine, frozen fillets are placed in either or both the troughs 27 and 28 with the skin surfaces thereof adwith the rollers 76, 77, 80 and 81, these rollers are independently elevated in accordance with the contour of the fillets. By making these rollers of'resilient material, the periphery more readily conforms to the contour of the fillets and effects thereby a more extensive bearing area. As the individual fillets continue to be advanced towards the cutter, the skins thereof are cut off- A further advance of the fillets will bring the rollers 67, 68, 69 and 73 in contact therewith and help to maintain the skinned portions thereof in juxtaposed relationship with the cutter 15. The strips 45 are preferably provided with roughened surfaces to obviate transverse slipping of the fillets during'the cutting operation. The slab '22 acts as a detent against the further advance of thev pusher 31 after said pusher has served its unction. The pusher 31 can then be'withdrawn for the re etition of the cycle.

Although certain novel features of the invention have been shown and described and are pointed out in the annexed claims, it will be understood that various omissions. substitutions and changes in the several steps of the process and in its operation and in the form and details of the apparatus illustrated may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. v

I claim: I

1. An a paratus for skinning frozen fish fillets havmg the skin surface thereof in a substantially plane. condition comprising a cutter for removing substantially only the skin fromsaid fillets, a roller yieldably mounted with respect to said cutter and having a resilient periphery, said roller bein adapted to hold the skin portion of said fish in cooperative relationship with said cutter.

2. An a paratus for skinning frozen fish fillets having the skin surface thereof in a substantiallyplane condition comprising a cutter for removing substantially only the skin from said fillets, a roller having a resilient periphery, said roller being adapted to' hold the skin portion of said fish in cooperative relationship] with said cu..er.

Y 3. An a paratus for skinning frozen fish fillets having the skin surface thereofin a substantially plane condition comprising a cutter for removing substantially only the skin from said fillets, a plurality'of substantially axially aligned rollers yieldably mounted for independent operation and adapted to hold the skin portion of said fish in cooperative relationship with said cutter. 4. An apparatus for skinning frozen fish fillets having the skin surface thereof in a substantially plane condition comprising a cutter for removing substantially only the skin from said fillets, a first roller yieldably mounted in front of the field of action ofsaid cutter, a second roller yieldably mounted beyond the field of action ofsaid cutter, said rollers being adapted to independentlybear against the surface of the fish so as to maintain the skin portionthereof in cooperative relationship with said cutter.

5. An apparatus for skinning frozen fish fillets having the skin surface thereof in a substantially plane condition comprising a cutter for removing substantially only the skin from said fillets, a plurality of series of substantially axially aligned rollers, each of said rollers being yieldably mounted for independent operation and adapted to bear against the surface of the fish so as to main- I tain the skin portion thereof .in cooperative relationship with. said cutter.

6.' An apparatus for skinning frozen fish fillets having the skin surface thereof in a substantially plane condition comprising a cutter for removing substantially only the skin from said fillets, a shaft, a sleeve loosely mounted on said shaft, an arm connected to said sleeve, a roller rotatabl mounted on said arm, a second sleeve fixe ly secured to said shaft, a second arm connected to said second sleeve, and a roller mounted on said second arm, said rollers being adapted to independently bear against the surface of the fish so as to maintain the skin ortion thereof in cooperative relationship with said v cutter. v v

7. An apparatus for. skinning frozen fish fillets having the skin surface thereof in a substantially plane condition comprising a cutter for removing :substantfally onlythe skin from said fillets, a trough, a pusher it guided in said trough, said pusher bein' juxta- Y adjacent said slot, a first series of substantially axially aligned rollers on one side of the slot and a second series of substantially axiall aligned rollers on the other side of said sfbt, each of said rollers being yieldably mounted for independent action to bear upon the fish so as to maintain the,skin portion thereof in cooperative relationship with said cutter. x

10. An apparatus for skinning frozen fish fillets having the skin surface thereof in a substantially plane condition comprising a cutter for removing substantially only the skin from said fillets, a trough in which the fillets are disposed, means for selectively adjusting the width of said trough, a

usher uided in said trough, said pusher eing a apted to advance the fish into the field of action of said cutter, and means for disposing the skin ortionof said fish in juxtaposed relations ip with said cutter.

condition and removingthe skin from the fillets by pushing the rigid, frozen fillets edgewise relatively to a skin-removingdevice.

' In testimony whereof, I have afiixed my signature to this specification.

. ALEXANDERYHICOOKE.

substantially plane condition comprising a cutter for removing substantiallyonly the skin from said fillets, a receptacle, a guide rail extending longitudinally intermediate the sides of said receptacle, constituting thereby a pair of adjacent-troughs, a pusher cooperating with said guide rail and adapted to advance the fish'in each of said troughs into the field of action of said cutting means, and means independently asso- 

